


Meet at First Beat

by DragonLover19



Category: Trolls (2016), Trolls World Tour (2020)
Genre: Bad Advice, Bad Flirting, Dancing and Singing, Everyone has bad advice, F/M, Humor, Music, Romance, Shyness, Suki is clueless, Trollex has feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23910499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonLover19/pseuds/DragonLover19
Summary: King Trollex, king of the Techno Trolls, has his heart stolen when he spots a hot pink Pop Troll managing a DJ booth. He wants to get to know her better, but there's a slight problem. One, he can't seem to gather enough courage to go over and talk to her, and two... that's basically it. Seeing this problem, he tries to ask each leader how to deal with this situation.Turns out that might not have been a good idea....
Relationships: Branch/Poppy (Trolls), King Trollex/DJ Suki
Comments: 31
Kudos: 88





	1. The Pink Troll On The DJ Booth

Her head bopped to the beat of the music. Her hair waved in the wind. Her hands, skilled and sleek, mastered of years of managing a DJ booth moved with grace and skill.

“Uh… Trollex?”

The way she moved was like no other. She had more energy, more groove, more _everything_ that put her above the rest.

“King Trollex?”

But her moves were nothing compared to her music. Her music sounded so wonderful, so powerful. Like her very soul was put into it.

“King Trollex?”

Her smile was sweet, her hair was dazzling, her skin was a perfect hot pink, her headphones looked wonderful against her—

“ _HEY FISH BOY!_ ”

King Trollex jumped into the ceiling. Rubbing his head, he shot a glare at Barb. “Was that really necessary?”

“I don’t know.” Barb shrugged, though her smile betrayed her innocence. “Did it get your attention?”

“Yes.”

“Worth it.” Barb chuckled, heading back to her seat.

“Queen Barb, please. That was a little harsh.” Queen Essence scolded the Rock Troll. She looked at Trollex in concern. “Are you alright?”

“N-no big. Just a small bump on the head.” Trollex waved the concern away, grinning lightly. “She just caught me off guard.”

“Off guard? Boy, you’ve been starin’ out that window fer over sixteen minutes.” Delta pointed out. “Ya sure yer alright?”

Trollex blinked, suddenly realizing that every troll in the room was staring at him. “Oh, uh, y-yeah. Yeah! No big! Just… just watching the party outside.” He pointed his thumb at the party going on down below, hoping no one would press further.

King Quincy came over, peering out the window. “Ah. I guess that would explain how you haven’t heard us talking to you.”

“Heard us? We could have tied his hair in knots and he wouldn’t even know it.” Barb scoffed.

“You _did_ tie his hair in knots.” Trollzart pointed out. Trollex’s eyes widened, reaching for his hair and, yep, he could feel knots in it. Barb burst out laughing as Trollex tried straightening his hair out.

“D-Dude! You didn’t even notice someone messing with your hair?!” Barb slammed a first down on the table as she laughed. “Were you really that out of it not to notice?!”

“Darling I told ya not ta go through with it.” Delta huffed as Trollex managed to get the last knot out of his hair.

Barb giggled, wiping a tear away. “Whatever. It’s his fault for not noticing earlier.”

Trollex glared at the Rock Troll, wanting to call her out. The timely arrival of Queen Poppy stopped him however, ending everything as each leader turned their focus on the pink troll. However, Trollex only paid half attention to the meeting as his eyes wandered over to the window.

* * *

Trollex was not troll who spied on others.

He just… happened to watch from a distance! A very far distance, with other trolls around, just watching them go about their day, and certainly not looking for a hot pink troll with bright orange hair—okay he had a problem. He had a real problem.

But it wasn’t really his fault. Really! He was just enjoying the little Pop Troll village when he caught sight of her and… well, followed her? At a far distance?

Wow, he was becoming a stalker.

Trollex sighed, slumping against the tree branch he laid upon. From up here, he could see every troll in the village moving about. And had a clear view of the hot pink troll riding a top a large bug, blasting music at full max.

He smiled as she waved to passing trolls, and even letting a few younger trolls try out her bug booth. He would ask Poppy what that type of bug was exactly, but for now? Now he just wanted to watch her.

And wondered how he could get to know her better.


	2. Music Block

Deep below the waves of the ocean, far down where the sun’s light never reached, and further beyond where no land dweller could see in the darkest depths is where the home of the Techno Trolls lies.

A world like no other, the Techno Reef was a safe haven and dwelling place of the Techno Trolls. Their homes were made with various seashells, coral, seaweed, sand, and various objects that were either thrown or lost out at sea. Some had even had homes made in the rock beds of the reef, digging out holes in the stone to use as rooms and living space while seashells were commonly used as doors.

In the center of the Techno Reef stood the mighty LED Castle. It was the largest out of all the homes, made with precious stones, pearls, smooth rock, and, of course, led lights that lit up the whole reef. This mighty palace was where royalty lived, with its current king currently inside his bedroom, trying to think up of a new song.

Which was easier said than done.

King Trollex groaned, wadding up a piece of kelp and throwing it over his shoulder. The wadded kelp drifted through the water, going in a high arch before slowly falling down, down, down to a pile of crumpled up kelp that was building up by the door. Said same door that opened slightly.

Techno Beat Drop Button, or T.B.D.B. for short, peeked inside the room. Spotting his best friend, the little green button floated over to his friend. “Hey man! What’s up?”

A wadded kelp ball hit him in the face.

Blinking, T.B.D.B. looked at the slowly sinking kelp ball, watching it sink down to the floor. “… That bad huh?”

“Worse.” Trollex groan, tossing aside his coral pen in defeat and slumped on his desk, massaging his temples as T.B.D.B. came over. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to find the right notes and words for a new song.”

“Aw, cheer up buddy. I’m sure you’ll think of something!” T.B.D.B. patted Trollex’s head, trying to console his best friend. “These things just take time. You’ll come up with something eventually.”

Trollex sighed, laying his head down on one side while looking at T.B.D.B., grinning a bit. “Thanks little buddy.”

“No prob bro!” T.B.D.B. grinned before spotting something written on a piece of kelp nearby. “Hey! What’s this, a new song?”

Before the little button could read it, it was grabbed by a rainbow colored arm and pulled away quickly. T.B.D.B. looked up in surprise as Trollex sat up, hiding his arms behind his back. They stared at each other, neither moving nor speaking.

“…”

“…”

“… What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“… What’s on the kelp?”

“What kelp?”

T.B.D.B. stared at the king for a while. Slowly, his eyes narrowed and the corners of his lips went up into a sly grin. “What are you hiding~?”

“I-I don’t know what you mean.” Trollex quickly gazed around, adverting his eyes from the grinning button.

“Are you suuuurrrrre~?” T.B.D.B. smiled, floating closer to the Techno Troll. Trollex scooted back, keeping his arms behind his back.

“I’m sure buddy.” Trollex grinned nervously, backing away from the button as he kept approaching slowly. “H-hey, did did you have someplace to be at? Like a meet up or a small rave to get to? Or—”

T.B.D.B. shot forward, causing Trollex to move back quickly. The little button gave chase as Trollex took off, and while the king was faster, he was confide in his own room, quickly hitting wall to wall with just a few strokes of his tail.

“What are you hiding?!”

“Nothing!”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing to me!”

“It’s nothing! Really!”

Trollex hid on top of his bed, peeking out slightly. When he couldn’t see the little button, he frowned, gazing around for his little friend.

Unaware that the button was on top his head.

“Is it a new song?” T.B.D.B. asked, startling the king to look up.

Trollex grabbed the small button with one hand, throwing him to the far side of the room. “Sorry little buddy!” With a quick snap of his tail, Trollex went over to the balcony doors.

“Wait!” T.B.D.B. shot forward, getting between the king and his exit. “Come on man! I just want to see it!”

“No way, it’s not meant to be seen!” Trollex tried to shove the button aside, but it stubbornly persisted to stay in his path. “Why are you so interested in it?!”

“Why are you trying so hard to hide it?!”

Trollex froze a moment, staring at the button a moment before groaning and holding out the kelp. T.B.D.B. smiled giddily, taking the kelp as Trollex swam towards the bed. “Oooooo~! This is gonna be good! Is it a new song? A new tune? A—” The button used his little arms to open the kelp, his smile fading as he looked.

He blinked a bit, looking at Trollex than at the kelp back and forth a couple times. “… uuuuhh, dude? Why is there a picture of a troll on the kelp?”

Trollex groaned, flopping face down on the soft sponge bed. T.B.D.B. frowned, floating over to his friend. He looked at him a moment, then at the kelp. “… OOOOHHHH! I get it! Fan mail! Now I see why you didn’t want me to see! Fans send some pretty crazy—”

“It’s not fan mail!” The king sat up, snatching the kelp and crumpling it up with an angry growl. “And I didn’t want you to see because… gah!” King Trollex threw the kelp, throwing himself on the bed and covering his head with a pillow.

T.B.D.B. was surprised. He had never seen his friend act like this before. Sure Trollex could be a little pouty at times when he was under a lot of stress, but he never like this! It must be serious.

“King Trollex?” T.B.D.B. floated closer to the king, setting himself down next to the Techno Troll’s pillow covered head. “… Buddy you okay? You’re worrying me here man.”

The only response T.B.D.B. got was a muffled sigh. The button frowned, looking at the pile of kelp. It was a large pile, notably larger than the normal pile King Trollex made when he tried making new songs. That sent some warning bells inside the small button’s mind.

Then he looked at the kelp that Trollex had tried to hide from him.

He gasped. Of course! Now he understood! The strange fan letter had gotten Trollex in a music block! No wonder he was having such a hard time making music! And getting stuck in a music block has made the king frustrated! He was a genius!

But how was he going to cheer up his buddy? The button though for a moment, trying to think of the best way to help his friend out. What usually got the king out of a music block?

The button thought, and thought.

A small blue jellyfish drifted over T.B.D.B.’s head, lighting up.

“AH HA!” T.B.D.B. smiled. “I know what to do!”

“Hmm?” Trollex lifted the corner of the pillow enough for one of his eyes to peek out.

“I know how to help you out of this music block King Trollex!” T.B.D.B. exclaimed happily.

Trollex stared at the small button, but his uni brow lifted a little, indicating he was listening.

“Why not visit the other troll kingdoms for inspiration? I’m sure they can help you out!”

Trollex frowned, sitting up on the bed. “I don’t know little buddy. Visiting other troll tribes sounds good and all, but they’re kind of far from Techno Reef. And I can’t just up and leave my people like that just to help myself. I mean, who would watch the kingdom? Who’s going to make sure everyone’s in good spirits? Who’s going to keep things running smoothly? I can’t do that!”

“Buuuut, you can’t help anyone if your vibes aren’t top max.” T.B.D.B. pointed out. “And you need inspiration for a new song! Maybe new scenery will help you?”

Trollex frowned a bit, but though over to what T.B.D.B. said. After a few moments, the king nodded his head. “Okay. Maybe you’re right.” He smiled at his friend. “But not right now. First we need to get some planning done and few letters sent out so everyone knows the plan.”

“Now you’re talking!” T.B.D.B. grinned, hopping up and down. Trollex smiled, scooping up his friend and headed for the door. “O! O! Maybe we can show the other tribes some of our own music! It’ll be like a big inspiration music party!”

While T.B.D.B. kept talking about the plan, Trollex quickly grabbed the kelp that he had crumpled up earlier and hid it in his topknot. “So little buddy, which tribe do you think we should visit first?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Now things are moving along! Who do you think Trollex should visit first?


	3. Vibe City

The moment he was inside the floating city, King Trollex was bombarded with lights, sounds, and technology far beyond what he had ever seen.

Did he feel a little out of place here? Kind of, kind of not. Vibe City certainly wasn’t Techno Reef. It looked the same, sort of, but it was also very different. Especially since everything wasn’t covered in water.

“Oooooo! Look at that place! And that one! Oh! Oh! Look at that one King Trollex!” T.B.D.B. exclaimed in the king’s arms as the pair hovered over the crowd of Funk Trolls walking around. The king smiled as his friend enjoyed the sights of the city. He had been a little worried bringing his friend along, but the small button had insisted he tagged along. And who was he to deny his friend like that? It had been his idea after all, so it was only appropriate that Trollex brought him along.

“Groove out of the way!” Someone shouted behind Trollex. The Techno Troll had only a moment to glance back before quickly moving up and out of the way of a fast speeding Funk Troll teen ridding a hoverboard. “Sorry man!”

“It’s cool!” Trollex smiled, gazing around the city. The lights reminded him of Techno Reef, but the style certainly wasn’t techno. It was familiar, yet vastly different.

“Yo Trollex!” Trollex stopped, looking up to see Prince D coming over to him on his personal hoverboard. “You made it! Glad you could drop by.”

“Prince D.” King Trollex bowed his head in respect at the young ruler to be. “I’m glad you let me visit.”

“It was surprise to get your letter, but we’re happy to have you here! So, what brings you to Vibe City?”

Trollex frowned a little. “Oh, well… I’ve been having some… music trouble.”

“He’s got a baaaad case of music block!” T.B.D.B. chirped out. Trollex frowned and slapped a hand over the small button’s mouth.

“Yeah. That.” Trollex grinned a little. “I was hoping that maybe Vibe City could help me get inspired for a new song.”

“Well you came to the right place! There’s no better place to get inspired than Vibe City! Come on I’ll show you around!” Prince D motion with his head and the pair soon took off.

As they moved about the city, Prince D went into detail about the locations they flew past. As they went around, Trollex tried to focus on the Prince’s words while looking around the city. A small smile formed on his lips as the beats the city gave off slowly gave him some new ideas for a song, bobbing his head to the music that played around the city. He could almost dance to the groove like the pink troll was doing down below in the crowd of Funk Trolls and lose himself to the mu—

Trollex’s eyes widened as he blinked several times, swinging his head around. His eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.

It was the same hot pink Pop Troll from the Pop Village.

His heart skipped a beat.

What was she doing here?! Shouldn’t she be back at her village?! Oh this was not good! Not good at all!

“King Trollex?”

What was he going to do?! He couldn’t just go over to her! He didn’t know what to say! What would he say?! ‘ _Hi I’ve been sort of watching you from afar but not in a creepy way! I’m not a stalker!_ ’ Oh that was just terrible!

“King Trollex?”

Should he tell her he sorta stalked her?! Should he not?! Maybe?! Was just watching from a distance even count as stalking?! Why was he thinking of stalking?! He didn’t want to be a stalker!

“King Trollex?”

He didn’t _mean_ to be a stalker! He didn’t want to be a stalker! All of it was just unintentional! Really! He didn’t want to stalk someone, he just—!

“Trollex, Trollex, Trollex, Trollex, Trollex, Trollex, Trollex, Trollex—”

“Huh?!” Trollex blinked, suddenly aware of the Funk Troll prince in front of him shaking his shoulders while saying his name over and over. “W-What?”

“Dude, what’s the matter with you?” T.B.D.B. floated next to Prince D’s head, looking at his king in concern. “You’ve been floating there spacing out staring for over twenty eight minutes!”

“Wha-No I haven’t!”

“Dude, I’m not sure if you noticed, buuuut—”

“Your butt’s being fried.”

Trollex looked at the prince confused… and then he smelled something cooking… oh… wait…

“EEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!”

Prince D and T.B.D.B. watched as King Trollex shot high into the air, shooting past hovering Funk Trolls who stopped in surprise at the brightly colored glowing living missile with a smoking back. He shot high up, until his head collided with the very ceiling of the moving city. The king stayed there a moment sticking to the ceiling before losing grip and falling. Hundreds of eyes watched as the Techno Troll fell past them, falling down, down, down, doooown right smack face first into the same sign he rocked it off to begin with.

Trollex groaned, rubbing his face in pain.

“King Trollex! You okay man?!” T.B.D.B. asked, hovering over to the dazed in pain troll.

“Peachy.” Trollex grumbled, rubbing his head to sooth the pain away… and then he smelled something fishy cooking… _oh wait_ …

* * *

“Why are your signs so hot?! Who keeps a sign on for twenty four seven?! And speaking of signs, _WHY ARE ALL THE SIGNS OVER A HUNDRED DEGREES?!_ Isn’t that some sort of fire hazard?!”

“Only when no one fly’s into them.” Prince D chuckled, though it died quickly at the pointed glare Trollex was giving him. “Sorry.”

Trollex sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped like that.”

“Begging your pardon your majesty, but I think you have every right to be just a _tiiiiny_ bit snappy.” T.B.D.B. pointed out, hovering over Trollex’s head. “I mean who just lets a king fall on a hot sign and hit a ceiling over and over again?”

“It’s not anyone’s fault T.B.” Trollex sighed again, looking at the burn marks on his body. They didn’t look bad, but they still stung like a bad shock from a jellyfish wire. Trollex cringed, sinking deeper into the tub to sooth the burns on his body.

“Those burns look pretty bad, you sure you don’t want me to get ya a doctor?” Prince D offered, though it was waved away by Trollex.

“Don’t bother yourself. Techno Trolls heal fast.”

“You sure?”

Trollex managed a small smile. “Positive.”

“I don’t know man. Those burns do look kinda bad.” T.B.D.B. sat on Trollex’s head before shooting up after the king hissed in pain. “Sorry.” He giggled nervously as Trollex glanced at him with a frown, rubbing his bruised head.

“Soooo…” Prince D started, feeling a bit awkward in the room just standing there. “You… want to tell us way you were sitting on a heat sign in the first place?”

Trollex raised one side of his uni brow at the prince.

“Sorry! Sorry! Curious.” Prince D chuckled nervously. “A-and my folks would probably want the full story once they get back.”

“Queen Essence and King Quincy aren’t here?” Trollex’s eyes widened.

“Nope. They’re over at Pop Village having a talk with Queen Poppy and left me in charge.” Prince D puffed his chest out a little. “Something about… love advice?”

If his eyes weren’t wide before, they certainly were now. “… L-l-love advice?” Trollex smiled a little, though it didn’t look like a smile. It looked like a half attempt of a forced smile with a nervous frown mixed in.

“Yeah.” Prince D nodded as he sat down. “They got a letter earlier today asking if they could come over and give some advice about love. Well, it was like pleading and the message was from Branch, you know Queen Poppy’s boyfriend? Apparently he wanted to know how to be a good boyfriend and asked my dad for advice. My mom tagged along with him and now they’re over at Pop Village. Oh! Speaking of Pop, Cooper brought over some his friends to visit the city! They’re pretty great, you should meet ‘em! They’re neat. There’s a big blue troll, a pair of twins, like me and Cooper! And there’s this small tiny troll with a deep voice, a troll with really really long legs, a glitter troll, oh! And a DJ!”

“DJ?” Trollex perked at the mention of a DJ. “There’s a DJ in the group?”

“Yeah, she a good friend of theirs.” Prince D nodded. “Her name’s is… what did Cooper say it was again? DJ Cookie? No, DJ Hooky? No no that’s not right. Um, DJ… Sunderay? Ugh! I know it starts with something.”

Trollex glance at T.B.D.B., who only shrugged.

“SUKI!” The prince suddenly blurted out, startling the king and his friend. “That was it! DJ Suki!”

“DJ… Suki.” Trollex spoke the name softly, testing it on his tongue. He smiled. Suki sounded like a nice name.

“Yeah. I can’t believe I forgot her name! She’s a hot pink troll with thick fuzzy orange hair and a pale blue nose and are you okay man?”

King Trollex was almost fully submerged in the water, with only half of his wide eyes and a bit of his nose sticking out. His normal glow was ten times brighter than before, and a deep blue was on his cheeks.

Prince D looked over the king, wondering if his guest was alright when his eyes spotted something in Trollex’s topknot. Something green and plant like. Plucking it out, the prince found it to be kelp, flipping it over and—

“Hey! That’s the troll we saw earlier!” T.B.D.B. exclaimed, seeing the picture on the kelp.

“Wait, this troll?” Prince D looked at the nodding button.

“Yeah! We saw her dancing with a crowd of Funk Trolls while you were showing us around! She was really getting into the grove of the music and really seem to enjoy it—” Prince D stopped listening to the small button as he looked at the picture. It was a simple drawing of the Pop Troll managing a DJ booth, smiling with glowing bugs flying around her head. He looked at the picture carefully, then at the Techno Troll ruler who submerged himself deeper in the water when T.B.D.B. started talking about the hot pink troll.

Then a sly grin crossed his face. “Oooooh, now I get it.” The prince chuckled. “I see what’s really going on here.”

Trollex lifted his head just enough for his eyes to peek out over the waterline.

“You sir, have a bad case of _llllove_ sickness.”

“No I don’t!” Trollex shouted, his blush deepening as the heart on his chest started beating loud enough for everyone to hear. Glancing at his heart, Trollex slowly submerged himself back in the water.

“… King Trollex has a crush?” T.B.D.B. stared at the king for a moment before ginning wildly. “OH MY STARFISH KING TROLLEX HAS A _CRUSH_! Who’s the lucky troll?! Are they nice? What’s they’re color? Are you going to ask them out on a date?! You ain’t doing nothing behind closed doors together are you? What’s their favorite song?!”

“Okay, how about you wait outside a bit while the king has a talk with the love doctor.” Prince D gently pushed the button outside the room, closing the door before turning his attention to the Techno Troll.

“So. The royal Techno Troll has a crush on a hot pink Pop Troll.”

“It’s not a crush! I just… admire her. F-from a far distance.” Trollex huffed as the prince sat beside the tub. “A very… far distance.”

“Dude. You got it bad man.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Trollex crossed his arms.

“Come on, I saw the way you were staring at her earlier. Don’t act like I hadn’t noticed. Your actions speak for themselves.” Prince D held up the kelp, which was quickly snatched by Trollex and stuffed into his topknot.

The king sighed, folding his arms over his chest and sat in the tub. Prince D chuckled. “Man, you know you got it bad when you start drawing pictures of them. When exactly did you two meet?”

Trollex mumbled something in the water.

“What?”

The king mumbled again.

“Could you say that once more time? I didn’t—”

“We haven’t meet yet.” Trollex groaned, hitting the back of his head on the tub. “Ow.” The Techno Troll rubbed his sore head. “I… I’ve only seen her from afar. Watching her play mixes and manage her booth, and we haven’t actually…” Trollex waved his hands a little next to each other, frowning a bit. “… you know.”

Prince D nodded. “Mmm, classic case of the crush on first sight.”

“Well I didn’t exactly like _like_ her at first. I just saw her a couple times, watched her play her DJ booth, saw her dancing, watching the way her hair moved, the skill of her hands, the… nice curve of her sweet sweet smile.” Trollex sighed as the hot pink Pop Troll crossed his mind, smiling goofy. “I didn’t even know her name till now.” He chuckled a little. “Suki. It’s a cute name.”

“You got it baaaaaaaaaaaad.” Prince D teased.

Trollex snapped back into focus, realizing he wasn’t alone and blushed. “I-I-I really don’t think it’s a crush.”

“Oh come on man! It’s so obviously a crush.” Trollex frowned and looked away. Prince D looked at the king of techno, thinking a bit. A low hanging light orb lit up over his head. “Alright, if you don’t get what I’m talking about, then how about I explain it to you in a different way?”

The young prince got off the floor, heading over to one of the walls that was covered in levers and buttons. The prince grabbed one of the levers, turning his head to smile at the confused king. “Behold!” Yanking down the lever, the wall on the opposite slid open, releasing a cloud of steam, blinding the view from a moment till it cleared enough to show…

A room full of Funk Troll ladies bathing?

“ _DUDE!_ ” King Trollex covered his eyes, alerting the other Funk Trolls that they had been exposed.

“Oh oops!” Prince D quickly lifted the lever back up as the group of Funk Troll ladies screamed in fright, with one managing to throw a brush at the king’s already sensitive head before the wall quickly closed. “Uh heh heh. Sorry. Wrong lever.” The prince chuckled before moving to a different lever and pulling on it.

The lights dimmed, leaving the room in darkness and the light from Trollex’s glowing body. The ceiling opened with multiple holes, letting water fall and fill up the room. King Trollex watched as the room quickly filled with water that reached and went over the tub his was sitting in. Once the tub was completely submerged, the water stopped and the tub sunk into the floor.

Trollex blinked, looking for the tub before looking up in surprise as a glowing blue bubble brushed past his nose. He looked up to see bubbles of various soft colors floating down from the holes in the ceiling that water had just been coming out moments ago.

“You see King Trollex, what you got isn’t so bad.” Prince D spoke up as the room filled with glowing bubbles. “It’s just a simple thing that all trolls get one way or another. Just a simple little thing.”

“… And what’s that?”

“Love.”

“Love?”

~*~

_It's a love thing_

_It's a love thing_

_It's a love thing, thing_

Prince D jumped up on a large bubble, smiling down at a perplexed King Trollex.

_The look in her eyes_

_Is more than enough_

_To make your poor heart_

_Burst into flames_

A glowing pink bubble drifted towards the king’s face, shifting and twisting till it vaguely resembled a troll. A familiar Pop Troll.

_Knew from the moment you saw her_

_That there was no doubt_

_That your life would never be the same_

The king blushed at the small mini figure of the Pop Troll, watching it dance around him. Just like the way the real Suki danced.

_Can never hide the feelings_

_That come over you_

_When she’s near you_

_You know that's how it's suppose to be_

_Your heart keeps telling you_

Trollex reached for the mini troll, but the moment his hands touched it, the bubble popped, leaving a saddened king.

_It's a love thing, yeah_

Trollex frowned at the grinning Prince D, sinking below the water line and sat at the bottom covering his ears.

_It's a love thing_

_It's a love thing_

_Love thing, yeah_

Trollex shot a glare at the surface. He didn’t get to glare long as a glowing mini Techno Troll swam past him. Trollex blinked, watching as the water was filled with tiny mini Techno Trolls all around him. Even a mini him!

_Such a feeling you get_

_Whenever you see_

_A girl like no other_

_You met before_

A mini Trollex swam past a group of female Techno Trolls, smiling and waving. The mini Trollex swam up to the surface, with the real Trollex following behind. His head broke through the surface, seeing the mini him watching a group of trolls behind a tree.

_It’s still so new and yet_

_You need her so much_

_Got to make her yours_

_Forever more_

The mini Trollex spotted the mini Suki among the trolls, looking smitten and love struck.

_She’s the kinda woman_

_That can turn your world around_

_Cause she shows you what_

_A selfish love is all about_

_Without a doubt_

The mini Trollex watched as the mini Suki danced and sang along with the other trolls. A small part of Trollex, the real one, longed to be one of the trolls that mini Suki was talking to.

_It's a love thing_

Ducking under the water again, Trollex tried to forget about the Pop Troll, only to get a surprise when a much larger bubble Suki got in his path. Grabbing his hands, the bubble Suki pulled him along in a dance, smiling at him. Trollex couldn’t help but smile back as they twirled around and around.

_You feel that pounding in your heart_

_When she calls your name_

The bubble Suki tapped him on the nose, and Trollex blushed profoundly, covering his face as his chest heart beat rapidly.

_It's a love thing_

_It's a love thing_

_Love thing, thing_

Trollex smiled at the bubble Suki. The bubble Suki smiled back, then popped.

_It’s a love thing_

_Every time that she’s near_

_It becomes so clear_

Trollex looked around, trying to find the bubble Suki. When it became clear that she was gone, the king began to sulk.

_It's a love thing_

_It's a love thing_

_Love thing, yeah_

~*~

King Trollex blinked, looking up at the surface and spotting Prince D just hovering over him on his bubble. The king frowned, reaching through the surface and poked the bubble.

It popped on contact, leaving the prince hovering in the air for a moment before plummeting down into the water. The Prince gasped as he surfaced, spitting out water as Trollex poked his head out.

The two glared at each other… before bursting out in a fit of giggles.

“Okay, okay.” Trollex wiped a tear from his face. “So I _might_ have a slight crush on her. Doesn’t really count as love.”

“It could, if it’s meant to happen and you let it.”

Trollex thought a moment before nodding his head. “Okay, so… you have any advice?”

“Yeah I do! I know all about love man!” Prince D threw an arm around the king, completely forgetting the burns on his body. “Okay, the first order of business, _impressions_.”

“Im. Press. Sions?” Trollex gritted his teeth, trying hard not to scream in pain.

“Yeah, first rule is to always have the girl approach you first before you approach her. Girls like it when men let them fawn all over them.”

Trollex frowned. “And this helps… how?”

“Girls like to swoon over things, it’s a weakness they’re bad at hiding. You need to have the right looks and style, or otherwise she’s not going to notice you man. Oh! Hang on! I’ve got just the thing!”

Prince D swam towards the wall again, grabbing a lever and pulling.

The floor under the water open and Trollex only had a spare moment to look down before he and the water fell through. Prince D whipped his head around as the floor closed, leaving only him in the room.

“… we really need to label these things.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song was It's a Love Thing by the Whispers, edited a bit to fit what King Trollex is going through.
> 
> And that was Vibe City! Is Trollex going to stick around, or is he heading home to rest a bit after the events of his visit?


	4. Firt Meeting

Water was a key element to a Techno Troll. They lived in it, they thrived in it, heck, it was basically their life source! Without it, they couldn’t live as well as on dry land!

Though while Trollex did love the water, he did not like it so much when going down a pipe. A dark, cramp, twisted pipe with no windows, no glass, no nothing to show him where he was going. Didn’t really help that the current was against him too, forcing Trollex one way with no control to go back and fight against it.

And it really didn’t help that he kept ramming into the metal wall and sharp turns, bruising his already burned body and sensitive head. At one point or another, he though he heard Prince D or T.B.D.B.’s voice somewhere before being lost to the current.

Gripping the walls did nothing to slow or stop him as there was nothing to grip and hold on to. Trollex was starting to think he would never get out, until the pipe broke open and he came tumbling out on the floor. Dazed and confused. He didn’t realizes there was someone over him till his eyes came back into focus and met a sharp unhappy gaze from a familiar Techno Troll he knew all too well.

“Ow, ow, ow, owowowowowow—”

“Oh stop being such a big baby! Honestly, I’ve had patients how had worse injuries than yours and they never complained.”

Trollex cringed as the doctor wrapped another bandage of seaweed around his head. He would have made a little come back at her words, but Trollex knew it was best not to anger this Techno Troll. Her name was Sleek, the top doctor of the Techno Trolls with an infamous temper when tried and tested.

Her skin was deep red while her hair was a bright orange that ended with yellow tips. What made her stand out than a regular Techno Troll was the notable large tear in her tail with a missing chunk at her right half, and scars on her arms. Though most trolls wouldn’t notice those scars as the doctors’ jacket she wore covered her arms, though her tail stuck out at the bottom which did little to hide the tear. Many trolls cringed and felt sorry when they saw her tail.

Until Sleek firmly, and _loudly_ , made it clear that she did **NOT** tolerate being pitied and refused to let anyone treat her any different than a normal troll just because of it. And those who were unfortunate not to get the message the first time, weeeeelllllllllll… she _WAS_ a doctor for more than one reason.

Sleek finished wrapping Trollex’s head, examining her work before nodding. “Alright, that should do it.” She grabbed one of his arms, glancing it over and frowning. “How in the world did you get these burns?”

Trollex blushed a bit, coughing into his fist. “Uh an accident. W-wasn’t watching where I was going and I uh, r-run into a sign.” Sleek gave him a raised look. “A very, very hot sign.”

She looked at him a moment before shrugging, reaching inside her medical conch bag, digging around before pulling out a small scallop, popping it open after hitting it against her head. “I’m not sure if burns made by land lights are the same as LED made burns, but this should work just the same.”

“Thanks Sleek.” Trollex smiled, trying his best not to cringe as Sleek applied the cream on his burns. The red Techno Troll huffed, but nodded.

“I though you said Techno Trolls healed fast?” Prince D, who had been standing awkwardly to the side with T.B.D.B., spoke up at last.

“Oh they normally do.” Sleek nodded, before glaring over her shoulder at the prince. “ _IF_ said wounds were left alone and allowed to heal properly instead of sending the injured troll down into the complex water system where his body could get tossed around hitting against metal at every twist and turn.”

The three males cringed at the doctor’s harsh words. “… I said I was sorry…”

Sleek snorted, turning back to the king and applying the cream on the last burn on Trollex’s arm. She frowned as she looked at all the other burns on his body, shaking her head. “There’s too many burns to cover up, and I don’t have enough cream to cover them. We’ll need to head back to Techno Reef to finish treating these wounds properly.” Snapping the scallop shut, she tossed it in the conch, pulling out a rolled of seaweed and wrapped both his arms. “And until your burns and bruises have healed up, there will be no raving for you.”

“WHAT?!” Trollex jumped to his fin, staggering before Sleek forced him to sit back down. “Bu-but I can’t! It’s my job to drop the beat!”

“And it’s your job to keep your body healthy.” Sleek shot back. “Honestly Trollex, do you expect to go to a rave looking like you got in a fight with a seaweed and lost?”

Trollex’s ears drooped, gazing at the floor with a deep pout. “I don’t look that bad.”

“I’m sure you don’t.” Sleek rolled her eyes, turning to the prince. “And as for you.” The prince visibly flinched as she hovered over to him. “I would like to have a talk with you about some health code violations some Techno Trolls have been having around this city.”

“U-uh well.” Prince D glanced anywhere but the Techno Troll slowly advancing towards him with a fiery gaze. “I-I’m just the prince. It’s my parents who you should be talking to.”

“And where exactly are they?”

Prince D chuckled nervously, trying to back away. His escape was cut short when Sleek grabbed him by the ear and started pulling him away despite his protests. She paused a moment, glancing at Trollex. “Stay. If I find you gone by the time I’m done having a chat with Darnell here, I’m putting you in a full body cast.”

“It’s Prince D! Ow!” Trollex could only watch as the young prince was dragged away by his ear by the dark red troll. He pitied the young boy, but there was NO WAY he was going to stand up against Sleek when she was in doctor mode.

T.B.D.B., having hidden under Trollex’s chair when Sleek was turning her stone gaze on the young Funk Troll, slid out after the doctor had vanished out of the room. “Ssssoooo… you think he’s going to make it?”

“It’s his first time. Best not to get any hopes up.”

The small button nodded, opening his mouth to talk some more, when his nose caught an unfamiliar aroma. Sniffing, his mouth began to water. “Ooooo, something smells gooooooooood~”

Trollex frowned, sniffing his arm. All he could smell was burnt scales, which didn’t smell very good to him. He was about to tell T.B. that, but when he looked up, the small button was already floating off. “Tech! Where you going little buddy? Buddy?” He watched as the small button disappeared around the corner, leaving the king all by himself.

Seeing as he was alone and with no one to talk to, Trollex slumped in his seat. Knowing Sleek was going to take a while, and T.B.D.B. wandering off somewhere, the king was left with his thoughts.

Thinking back, Trollex though about what Prince D had said and frowned. It was just a small crush on a troll he had never interacted before, there’s no way it could be love! It was just silly! He was just over thinking things.

It was like childhood all over again. Trollex shook his head, remembering his old silly crush he had before. It didn’t last long and he got over it in a few days. Maybe this was the same thing? Yeah, maybe. He didn’t know much about her, he didn’t even know why he was into her! So maybe he was just over thinking this and—

“Cool colors man.”

Trollex blinked, seeing a shadow on the floor. “Oh!” He realized that the person had just complemented his rainbow colors. His mother always did say how colorful he was. “Why thank yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo—” His voice was stuck as he looked up and saw the last troll he wanted to see today.

* * *

“—ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo—”

Suki wasn’t sure if the troll before her broke or he was doing some sort of Techno greeting. If it was a greeting, then it was sure one weird way to say hello. “You okay?”

She looked him up and down. He looked like a normal Techno Troll she’d been seeing all around lately, but there was something about him that seemed… familiar. She wasn’t sure, but she could feel that she had seen him around before, she just couldn’t remember where or when.

The troll cough, looking away from her as his body was glowing brighter. Suki smiled. “You Techno Trolls sure are interesting. I’ve never seen a glowing troll before.”

The troll looked at her with his wide eyes.

“It makes you look… interesting.” Suki nodded. Though the hall they were in wasn’t really dark, the glow of the troll’s body did make him stick out and pop with color. “In a good way!”

The troll kept staring at her.

“I’m Suki, DJ Suki by the way.” She held out a hand for him to shake. “What’s yours?”

The troll looked at her hand, then back at her.

“… pink.”

“Pink?”

“U-uh, music! No! Impression! NO! WORDS! GAAHAHA!”

Suki backed up a bit as the troll grabbed his head, slumping more in his seat. Frowning, she went up to him and patted him lightly on the head. “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t stress yourself. You don’t need to tell me.”

The troll looked up at her. His big eyes were almost reflective that she could see herself.

“Suki! Hey Suki!” Suki looked up as she heard one of her friends calling her.

“Listen, I gotta go.” She moved away, missing the heartbreak on the troll’s face. “I’ll catch you later okay? Or stop by Pop Village if ya can!” Suki took off, heading where she heard her name being called.

She didn’t say anything to the troll, but she thought his little pout was cute.

* * *

Trollex watched as Suki disappeared. His heart beat painfully against his chest when he couldn’t see her anymore.

Seeing that he missed his chance to talk to her, he slumped heavily on the chair.

“Niiiiiiiice going Trollex.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice first impression Trollex~ What is he to do now?


	5. Lots of Things Missed

If Suki was honest, she wasn’t a troll who kept tabs on things going on around her.

Not that she minded too much, she just wished trolls would at least tell her what happened when she got back from one of her small trips to her… special place. It wasn’t her fault that she spent so much time there that important things happened while she was away.

So you could say she was rightfully confused to see very different trolls when she went back to the village. She would have panicked, but nobody seemed to be worried or scared of the new comers, so she simply walked around till she was back to her pod and slept to the next morning.

Afterwards, she went to Poppy for answers. Turns out she missed a lot while she was away. First a tour, different music trolls, and a whole crazy plan. _Wow._

As usual, Poppy asked where she went, and she easily lied. As much as she cared about Poppy, she didn’t want to share her special place with anyone. Especially with her friends. As much as she cared about them, it was _her_ special place, and she didn’t want anyone intruding on it.

Still, it was nice to be back in the village now. Though it was disappointing that she missed Guy Diamond’s son’s birth. The little guy looked just like his dad in a mini version.

Meeting new trolls was kind of an overload at first, but she slowly enjoyed the music they brought. And finding out Cooper was really a Funk Troll all along, added with the fact that he was a missing prince, was an even bigger surprise. Still, she wanted to try to see if she could make new mixes to her groove.

A trip to Funk City inspired her, but it didn’t quite give her that right tune to play. The lyrics came to her easily, but the music was harder to obtain. Nothing seemed right with her words, no matter how hard she tried.

Sighing, she set her pen down. As much as she loved music, she was having trouble making something new for others to enjoy. And now with these new trolls, she wanted to make a complete big impression.

Her hand reached into her hair, searching for something till her fingers brushed over something smooth. She grabbed it, pulling out a seashell. It was small, chipped and cracked in many places but it still held strong together.

She pressed the seashell close to her cheek, feeling the cool hard shell against her soft skin. A small smile crossed her face, relaxing against the shell.

_It’s a promise! As long as you have this shell, we’ll meet again!_

A voice rung in her head. Faint, distant, unfamiliar. She didn’t recall who gave her this shell, but she held on to it. It was calming, her ties to a secure place. She just wished she remembered who gave her this shell.

Sighing, she placed the shell back in her hair, making sure it was hidden and out of sight. “Maybe a walk around the village will help me get in the groove.” She mumbled, leaving her pod.


End file.
